Comparing The Metropolitan Museum Of Greek Art: The Bronze Man And Centaur

The Metropolitan Museum of Art is located in New York City and is the one of the largest, and most visited museums in the world. The museum contains both the art and the architecture of medieval Europe. The Greek and Roman Art exhibit features 17,000 different pieces of art, the size of the pieces range from smaller, portable figures, to larger statues. Both the Bronze Man and Centaur and the Terracotta Hydria pieces, dating before 1300, are located in the museums Greek and Roman art exhibit. By examining both pieces of art one can better understand the common themes within Ancient Greek art (The Metropolitan Museum of Art).

The Bronze Man and Centaur was created during the Geometric period of Greek Art. Following the downfall of Mycenaean

civilization, art became an even more important part of the Greek culture (Janson, 104). The Greeks often incorporated mythological creatures, like the half man, half horse centaur, into their works of art because, although the gods and the goddesses were immortal, they were very similar in their actions to human beings (Janson, 105). A major aspect of Geometric Style was the linear designs, which they used in both their pottery and bronze sculptures (Janson, 105). The man and centaur is a prime example of one of these bronze statues.
The bronze man and centaur is a small, portable piece of Greek art located in gallery 151, Roman and Greek art, of the museum.

The bronze man and centaur, dating back to mid-eighth century B.C., represents the Geometric period of Greek art. The figure is small, only about eleven centimeters, and is made of a bronze medium (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). This figure consists of a mythological creature that was half man, and half horse, known as a centaur (Janson, 107). During the Geometric period, Greeks believed that centaurs were mythological beasts that lived within woodsy areas (Janson, 107). The Parthenon in Athens Greece contains paintings with a vaster representation of the nature of a centaur, however the small statue within The Metropolitan Museum of Art is an excellent way to display the physical characteristics of this creature (The Metropolitan Museum of

Art).
The physical characteristics of the Man and Centaur help to provide a better understanding of the styles used by artists in Greece during the Geometric period of Greek art. During this time period, a common theme was developed in the body types of the figures. The Man and Centaur in the statue have spherical heads, thin and triangular torsos, and rounded buttocks and thighs (Janson, 107). These physical characteristics were common amongst Greek Art because this is how the artists portrayed normal human traits. The unrealistic body shape would then evolve over time and become more realistic to that of an actual human being, making this a notable distinction of the Geometric time period. The man and centaur is a small, portable statue. During this time period the Greeks created small figurines that could be easily transported. This made it easier for the Greeks to bring their artworks with them as they moved from place to place. The size difference between the Man and Centaur is also significant in the superiority of the man to the centaur. The artist used size to express power. Because the man appears to be both larger and taller than the centaur in size, he will be able to successfully conquer the centaur. The interaction between the Man and the Centaur is representative of the piece as a narrative, which was also a theme in Ancient Greek art during the Geometric period (Janson, 107). Both the man and the centaur are wearing helmets in the figure. This represent a marital communication in Greek art (Janson 107). It is unknown whether or not this piece is based off a historically significant event; however, some believe that the male figure is Herakles, the son of Zeus. Herakles often successfully fought centaurs, leading historians to believe that Herakles inspired this work of art (Janson, 107).
Created during the archaic period in Greece, the Terracotta Hydria dates back to 510 B.C.

A major concern of Greek artists during the Archaic period was that they would create a clear representation of the human body, meaning that the sculptures they created began to look more realistic during this time (Weir, Dec. 1st). During the archaic period an architectural revolution took place. They began to build temples for worship and religious sacrifices. These temples were now made of stone, as oppose to the wood they were made of prior to this advancement (Janson, 109). During the archaic time period, the Greeks also made the transition from wooden statues, to stone (Janson,

113).
This piece of art functions as a water vase, but its body is decorated with a popular Greek scene (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). Hydria represents the shape of the vase and terracotta is the clay medium the vase is composed of ( The Metropolitan Museum of Art). Achilles and Ajax playing dice are portrayed in black-figure style on the vase (Janson, 121). Exekias created the Terracotta hydria during the most popular point of black-figure style (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). There is no written evidence that Achilles and Ajax played dice during the war still in existence, however the mythical story lives on through works of art like the

terracotta hydria (Janson, 121). The Terracotta Hydria illustrates the use of black figure style. Black figure style is an ancient Greek pottery style where the artist paints black figures against a red colored background, creating a contrast between the figures and the background (Janson, 1108). The use of black figure style demonstrates the amount of detail and richness that Exekias put into this work of art (Janson 121). Exekias even included extreme detail in the clothing Achilles and Ajax are wearing on the vase. Black figure style would later be replaced with red-figured style (Janson, 121). The vase has a mouth with a 24.8 centimeters diameter, a foot of 16.3 centimeters in diameter and a height of 54.1 centimeters (The Metropolitan Museum of Art).
Artist Exekias painted the Terracotta Hydria between the years of 540 and 480 B.C. (The Metropolitan Museum of Art). The poems of Homer greatly influenced the artists of Greece during this time period (Morkot, 21). On the water vase Achilles and Ajax are painted in black figure style. Achilles and Ajax are the most famous Trojan war heroes. During the brutal battle, the heroes took a break to play a game of dice. The Trojan War was a major turning point in Ancient Greek history. The Trojan war occurred when King Agamemnon of Mycenae led his army to Troy (Hunt,18). Therefore, the terracotta hydria is essential in understanding Greek culture (Schomp, 77). Exekias accurately depicted the heroes engaged in a tense dice
game going on during the war. The men appear disgruntled, and are anxiously leaning over the table on the edge of their seats. Ready for combat, the spears in hand also aid in illustrating the tension between Achilles and Ajax (Janson, 121).
Achilles appears to be significantly larger than Ajax in both height and size. Achilles helmet also appears to be much larger in the image, signifying that he is victorious over Ajax. Achilles victory in the dice game is also significant to Achilles victory in the Trojan War. Exekias commonly paints pictures of heroic and tragic deaths (Janson, 121). Ezekias’s attention to detail helps to provoke emotion in the individual viewing the piece of art, and keeps the individual on edge. It is easy to tell that Exekias really wanted to create details by using the black-figured style on both the handles, and the base of the jar. These sections are not necessary to the story of Achilles and Ajax, however they act as more of a decorative pattern. The Terracotta hydrias black-figure style is a prime example of a common stylistic theme amongst Ancient Greek art.
It is essential to pay close attention to the time period a piece of art is created to better understand it. If the historical events of the time period are considered it is easier to analyze the piece of art work. Of the 17,000 pieces of art in the Metropolitan Museum of Art Greek and Roman art exhibit, both the Man and Centaur and the Terracotta hydria do an excellent job in focusing on common stylistic themes in Ancient Greece. By examining these works of art we can better understand both the Geometric and Archaic periods of ancient Greek art.